


Lunar Orbit

by hungrybookworm



Category: Touhou Project
Genre: Also explains why Yorihime beat everyone, Drama & Romance, F/F, Kinda Sorta Canon Compliant, Missing Scenes, Retold Scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-25
Updated: 2014-03-25
Packaged: 2018-01-17 01:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1368169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hungrybookworm/pseuds/hungrybookworm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They held hands under the sheets, half afraid and half hopeful. In the confined space of an absurd rocket, two friends find themselves getting closer and closer.</p><p>A partial retelling of <i>Silent Sinner in Blue</i> from a ReiMari perspective.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lunar Orbit

**Author's Note:**

> Touhou Project (c) ZUN/Team Shanghai Alice

A spider crawled along the shrine porch. Marisa scooped it up and let it scuttle over her palm, moving her hands in a slow circle to let it keep walking. Eventually she let it down, and it ran out of sight.

It’d been eight days since they’d returned from the Moon, and Reimu still wasn’t back yet. The shrine grounds were covered in a thick layer of frost, and white winter leaves swirled over the tatami mats indoors. A family of mice had taken up residence in the donation box. But despite the obvious signs of neglect, the shrine still smelt of incense.

It still smelt like Reimu, and that just made Marisa feel even worse.

She heard the leaves crunch. Someone was walking up the path to the shrine. Marisa immediately got to her feet, but the figure walking under the torii gate wasn’t the Hakurei shrine maiden. It was a blonde magician with a small doll hovering over her shoulder.

“There you are,” said Alice with a sigh. “What happened to our weekly study session? It’s not like you to skip a chance to pilfer my books.”

Marisa couldn’t hide her disappointment. “Oh, I was just lounging around here. I’m thinking of moving in.”

Alice’s expression didn’t change, but her doll twitched. “That would be nice. I’d get some peace and quiet for once.” She sat down on the porch and placed her grimoire in her lap. “But I don’t think running a shrine is very profitable.”

“Tell me about it.” Marisa sat down too. The trees hissed as the wind blew. She thought of Reimu peering into her donation box. The way her eyes lit up if she saw the coins gleam in the sun. “Maybe I’ll turn it into a hotel.”

Marisa checked on the shrine every day. The first morning back had been great fun; she’d gone through the buildings, peeping through cupboards and doors she’d never had the chance to check before. She found a few valuables that were now resting safely in her living room, and a few silly knick-knacks that she’d never expected to find: rejected spell cards, newspaper clippings from a few decades ago (woah, Reimu’s mum was _hot_ ) and a collection of old, worn out yin-yang orbs piled up in the store room. Boy was she glad Reimu was away.

But as the days passed, she started getting impatient. It was silly, really. Marisa had plenty of friends, plenty of people to bother and hang out with, and yet every two hours she’d find herself back at the shrine, sitting around and pacing for about fifteen minutes, before getting bored and flying off again. This would go on until sunset. She couldn’t even focus on studying magic; her eyes would glaze over and her mind wandered endlessly. Maybe Reimu was back already. Maybe she came home that night. Maybe she was sitting around drinking tea. Maybe she was covered in bandages from all the lunar torture. Maybe maybe maybe. And then there was _that_.

*****  
The journey had been fine at first. The rocket was spacious, and the different stages gave them privacy if they needed it. There were plenty of books to read – Patchouli had selected a wide range of grimoires, fiction and novels from the outside world to entertain them. Marisa couldn’t do much practical magic practise, but the books kept her theory in shape at least. Reimu spent most of her time awake in front of the tiny shrine in the wall, her eyes closed. Outside the scenery was the same pale blue.

Marisa had spent whole days at the shrine before, but she’d never been around Reimu this much in the past. True, they didn’t talk much; Reimu had to concentrate, and was usually sleepy by the time she was done for the day, but they often sat together as she did her job. Once Marisa tired of books, she’d watch Remilia and Sakuya interact, or go tease the fairy maids. Then she’d lie down and have a nap, watching Reimu’s mouth move soundlessly as she dropped off to sleep.

Night never came, so for practical reasons everyone slept at the same time. Remilia got the whole upper stage to herself at first, with Sakuya and a maid sharing the middle. Reimu and Marisa shared the bottom with the other two fairies. Everyone had their own futon, and there was plenty of space to roll around and tiptoe to the allocated bucket if nature called. Marisa’s naps were playing havoc with her sleep schedule, and she’d often find herself awake after only a few hours, staring at the wooden ceiling and worrying if she was going insane.

They lost the bottom stage, and Sakuya was permitted to sleep in the same room as the vampire. Everyone else just had to make do. Marisa could still see the bottom stage falling down through the window as she closed the blackout curtains for the evening. She instinctively touched her pocket, making sure for the third time that day the mini-Hakkero was still with her. Her broom and hat were next to the bookcase. Everything was fine.

She woke up four hours later, and saw Reimu staring at her. The fairy maids were sleeping soundly, and the hum of the rocket rumbled gently through the floor. The shrine maiden’s futon sheets were coving her mouth, and her hand was lying upright on her pillow. Marisa stared back at her, wondering if it was some kind of game. Neither of them moved. Then Reimu’s hand twitched, and Marisa found herself reaching out. The sound of the sheets felt deafening. Finally their hands touched, and cupped together like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They couldn’t look away. They lay there, holding hands, afraid that somehow one of the maids would notice, or Sakuya would come down to check on them, or the other might pull away in horror. Finally, Reimu’s cheeks bulged with a smile, and she let go and rolled over. Marisa’s hand felt cold for the rest of the night.

*****  
Living in the upper stage was hell. It stank of blood from Remilia’s meals, and they could all barely fit without touching each other. Going to the toilet required everyone in the room to look in the other direction, and the shower Patchouli installed had fallen away with the middle stage.

“She probably assumed we’d be close to the Moon by now,” muttered Remilia. “But we’ll be fine. Sakuya can just sponge bathe everyone.”

Marisa nearly dropped the book in her hand. “Are you serious?”

“Done.” Sakuya was smiling, holding a bucket full of soapy water (wait, that wasn’t the toilet bucket, was it?) and a sponge. Marisa suddenly felt oddly clean. “See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“Patchy sometimes forgets to bathe, so Sakuya has to give her a wash without disturbing her research,” explained Remilia. “She’s had a lot of practise, as you can see.”

Marisa felt her face go red in humiliation, and reached for her pocket. “I- I’ll blast you to pieces!”

“Can you keep it down, please.” Reimu’s voice was cold. Marisa glared at Sakuya, but the maid just kept smiling. It made her skin crawl.

Days passed. The room got hotter. At night Remilia jealously guarded her bed, and everyone else had to somehow fit on the floor. Reimu had been acting like nothing had happened since the night they’d held hands, and Marisa hadn’t exactly brought it up either. She was starting to wonder if it’d all been a dream.

On the sixth day upstairs, something changed. Sakuya and Remilia didn’t notice it, and the fairies didn’t either. There was sweat running down Reimu’s forehead, and her legs trembled in her kneeling position. Marisa had seen it happen once or twice recently, and Reimu usually corrected herself quickly. But it didn’t stop until lunchtime. It happened again the next day, and Marisa felt compelled to check on her. “Reimu,” she whispered, “shouldn’t you take a break or something?”

Reimu shook her head once, and carried on.

By dinner Reimu was flopped on the floor, staring into space. Her work was over for the day. Sakuya came over with a plate of rice and eggs. “Good work for today,” she said, placing it on the floor next to her.

“Hey, why’re the portions so small?” Marisa frowned at her own meal. It barely filled up the small plate. “Are we running out of food?”

“It seems we ate a bit too much last week. Don’t worry, there’s still plenty to keep us going.” Sakuya gave her usual professional smile.

“Sakuya, are you sure there’s enough blood in this thing?” Remilia poked her steak with her fork.

“I’m truly sorry, Milady, but if I add more blood then we may well run out later.”

“Hmph.” Remilia pouted, then looked at Marisa. “Don’t we have emergency rations?”

Marisa glared at her, and Sakuya shook her head. “A magician’s blood has all kinds of toxins in it. If it comes down to that, then I shall have to be the donor.”

“What was the point in bringing her along then?”

What was the point indeed? As Marisa lay in her futon watching Sakuya draw the blackout curtains, she hoped the Moon would be worth all this trouble. Her muscles were starting to ache from a lack of exercise, and she was itching to get back to her magic experiments. If she neglected them for too long, her magical power might deteriorate. Maybe she should have just stayed at home after all.

Darkness. She heard Sakuya step gingerly over the fairies, then get into her own futon. Even the maid was too bored to stop time for a kip. Marisa dozed. Reimu was fast asleep in the futon next to her. Remilia snored in the background.

When she next opened her eyes, Reimu was looking at her again. The sheets didn’t obstruct her face this time, and Marisa could see how worn out she looked.

 _Of course she was worn out_. Reimu was spending hours every day keeping them up in the air, using techniques she’d only started learning properly a year ago. If she slacked off even once, they might fall out of the sky and burn up. It suddenly hit Marisa how easy everyone else had it, how her own boredom was a blessing compared to being a human rocket engine and meeting the demands of not one, but three gods. It was a miracle her friend was allowed to sleep at all.

Marisa reached out this time. Reimu didn’t hesitate, holding out her own hand in response. But Marisa didn’t clasp it; she tugged on the shrine maiden’s arm and pulled her in, over to her own futon. Reimu let her, moving like a limp doll. Soon the two of them were lying in the same bed, covered by the same sheet, barely centimetres apart and close enough to whisper without being overheard.

“What’s wrong with you? It’s not like you to show weakness. Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I can’t sleep yet, there’s still things I have to do.” Reimu’s voice sounded croaky, even as a whisper.

“You were snoozing just fine earlier.”

“Did you notice anything about our speed?”

“Huh?” Marisa frowned. “No, what about it?”

“We’re slowing down.” She felt Reimu sigh. “And talking to the Sumiyoshi has been tougher these last few days. I’m worried they’re getting bored.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, so I need to think of a way to interest them again. I wouldn’t mind if the vampire got barbequed, and those fairies won’t stay dead so they’ll be fine, but I can’t let two humans in my care die.”

“You’ll die too, you know. We’re too high up to fly, and I doubt your power will help you in space. And stop being stupid, you’re having trouble because you’re tired out. I’m exhausted and I’m not even doing anything.” Marisa tried not to let the panic show in her voice. “Just get a proper night’s sleep. I’ll even give you some of my food for breakfast, okay? You can pay me back for it once we’re home in Gensokyo.”

“Fine, fine.” Reimu didn’t sound convinced. “Don’t tell anyone I told you that, by the way. Well, you’re a liar. They won’t believe you.”

“Exactly, you can talk to me in confidence.” Marisa smiled. She hesitated for a moment, then reached out and placed a hand on Reimu’s head. Her hair felt soft and conditioned. Clearly Sakuya had been at her with the sponge. “You’re Reimu Hakurei, remember? Lazy shrine maiden extraordinaire. Now go to sleep.”

“Yeah.” And Reimu moved her head forward, dislodging Marisa’s hand, and rested her forehead against her shoulder. “I can’t wait for privacy again. I mean, look at me. This is ridiculous.” She touched Marisa’s forearm. Her palm was burning hot. “I get all touchy-feely just because you’re being nice to me? This is a joke.”

“Are you like this when Yukari’s nice to you too?” Marisa tried to crack a joke to ignore the weird, lightheaded feeling running through her. “Hey, Reimu? Oh.”

She was asleep. Crap, Marisa had meant to get her out of the bed before that. She’d have to move her herself. 

Except she must’ve fallen asleep too, because she blinked and suddenly the rocket was full of light. The blackout curtains were drawn, and Remilia and Sakuya were looking over them with bemused looks on their faces.

“Well, well, well.” Remilia raised her eyebrows. Marisa looked down and saw Reimu still asleep against her.

“I’m not sure whether to be surprised or not.” Sakuya shook her head. “I knew you two got along, but not quite that much.”

It took all day for Marisa to correct the misunderstanding.

*****  
“What was it like on the Moon?”

Alice’s question brought Marisa back to the present. They’d been sitting in silence for at least ten minutes, and Alice’s arms were crossed in irritation.

“Oh, um.” Marisa shook her head, trying to act normal. “Well, getting there was awful. I nearly throttled Remilia.”

“Yes, but what about the Moon itself?”

“There were these peach trees. Loads of them.” Marisa frowned in thought. It’d only been just over a week ago, but it felt like forever. “And the sea.”

Alice’s eyes widened. “A real sea?”

“Yeah.” Marisa grinned, and exaggerated with her arms. “It was huge! Way bigger than all the lakes in Gensokyo put together!”

*****  
Marisa hit the water before she even realised the rocket had broken apart. She screamed, water flooding her lungs, her legs kicking wildly. Wooden debris scratched her skin, and she saw little trails of blood float up to the surface. She flailed her arms, desperately trying to move back up. Then the worst was over and her natural buoyancy kicked in, and soon she was rushing up to the surface.

She broke through, and immediately grabbed the first plank of wood she saw. She coughed and hacked, squeezing her eyes shut as water came up through her mouth and nose. Disgusting. Her eyes stung and everything smelt and tasted of salt. Her head hurt and her scratches throbbed. At least she was alive.

Her panic faded as oxygen flooded back into Marisa’s brain, and she took a look around. Before her was a vast body of water, far wider than anything she’d ever seen before. As a child she could remember being awed by the Misty Lake; now she knew it was a mere puddle. Behind her was a sandy shore several metres away, and what looked like a row of trees.

Where was everyone else?

She looked around, but the sea was deserted. Her hat was stuck to a large chunk of wood to the right, so she paddled over to grab it. Had the blast separated everyone? Reimu’s face appeared in her mind, and she wondered if shrine maidens were ever taught how to swim. Nah, Reimu would be fine. She didn’t need something to kick off against to fly, so she could just float out of the sea. Marisa placed her sodden hat on her head and started doggy paddling over to the shore.

She rolled onto the sand, feeling the grains move under the surf. She lay there for a minute, her hat partially covering her face, enjoying the fact that she was alive and on dry land. The sun beamed down, the waves hissed at her feet. Her wounds stung. Everything was perfect.

But she couldn’t lie there forever. Marisa was an invader, and there could be enemy troops surrounding her any minute. She batted the hat off her face and sat up.

“Oh, you’re alive,” said Reimu, frowning. “I was just about to poke you too.”

Marisa laughed, and a smile appeared on Reimu’s face. The shrine maiden was sitting a few metres away, squeezing the water out of her sleeves. Her arms looked strangely naked without them. Marisa got up and sat next to her, smug with relief. “I figured you’d drowned or something. That pond at the back of your shrine doesn’t look big enough to swim in.”

“Oh, well I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I had swimming lessons as part of my training. What about you? I didn’t know the village school’s curriculum included water sports.”

“I got a gold star in synchronised swimming actually.” Marisa looked back at the sea. Now that she was safe on dry land, she could admire its beauty. “How big do you think that is?”

Reimu started putting her sleeves back on. “Bigger than Gensokyo. Maybe ten times the size.”

Marisa whistled. “That’s crazy.” She reached into her hat and pulled the mini-Hakkero out from a hidden pocket. She’d been expecting a fight that morning, so she moved it back to its usual place. It was a miracle it hadn’t been lost at the bottom of the sea. “Alright, it’s not damaged. Oh.”

“Oh?” Reimu looked. “Oh.”

The mini-Hakkero was drenched. Salt water had mixed in with the fuel. Any Master Sparks Marisa attempted would be damp squibs at best. “Well crap. That’s me at a handicap.”

“My amulets are drenched too.” Reimu grimaced. “And the spell cards themselves are soft. I should’ve put a waterproof border around them.”

Marisa quickly pulled out her own cards. They were damp, and the ink had run in a few places, but they’d be useable. “Maybe this is why we don’t have seas.”

They sighed. Did spell card rules even apply on the Moon? Neither of them were exactly confident in their hand-to-hand combat skills. “Where’s the vampire and friends?” asked Marisa. “Seen them anywhere?”

Reimu shook her head. “The maid probably rescued them.”

They sunk into silence after that, watching the sea. After spending so long in the clamour and noise of the upper stage, the gentle sound of the waves felt almost unnatural. Once Reimu started eating half of Marisa’s breakfast on the rocket, her concentration skills improved a little and they managed to get this far without issue. The crash landing was a bit unexpected, and nobody knew how they were going to get back, but at least they got there.

Yes, that’s right. They were on the Moon! There was the sea in front of them! How many generations in Gensokyo had longed to be in their place? Marisa reached down and scooped up some sand. It was dark brown and ran through her fingers like liquid silk.

“Oh, there you are.” Sakuya’s voice rang out from behind them. She looked completely dry. “Have you seen Milady anywhere? I think she wandered near the peach trees.”

“Nope.” Marisa turned back to the sea. She saw Reimu shrug in the corner of her eye. “Haven’t seen her or the maids anywhere.”

“Oh dear. Well, I’ll find her, and then we can decide what to do next.”

“Okay.” And she heard Sakuya walk away through the sand. Soon they were alone again. Reimu sighed.

“Hm?” Marisa looked at her.

“Oh, nothing. I was just worried it was only us.” She stood up, brushing the sand off her skirt.

“Yeah, that would’ve been pretty bad.” Marisa stood up too, feeling slightly disappointed for some reason. “What should we do then? Fish?”

“Fish?” Reimu laughed, and started taking her shoes off. “I want a paddle.”

“You’re kidding. After all the swimming we just did?”

“I’ll race you.”

“Fine, you’re on.” Marisa kicked her shoes off and tossed them onto dry sand. “Hey, flying’s not fair!”

They ran into the sea, kicking water at each other and giggling like little children. The whole shore was their playground, and for the first time in weeks they could finally exercise.

“Not so fast!”

Reimu was already running ahead. “Catch me if you can then!”

Marisa leapt forward and tackled her, grabbing the back of her friend’s legs. Reimu shrieked and the two of them tumbled to the ground, causing a huge splash. The wet sand got everywhere, turning their clothes a muddy brown. “What was that for?” Reimu pouted, then scooped up some wet sand. “I’ll get you for that!”

“Oh, sand danmaku, huh? You’re on!” Marisa used both hands to grab as much as possible. “Take this!”

The huge ball plopped to the ground, missing Reimu by a long short. Marisa felt something wet and slimy hit her forehead. “Hey!”

“Haha! Dodge this too!” Reimu was already grabbing more. Marisa dived for her again, aiming to knock her into the water, but Reimu just stepped to one side. The magician fell with another huge splash. “Oh, is the gravity difference getting to you, Marisa?”

But Marisa was already moving. Reimu’s hand was in grabbing distance, and she snagged it before the shrine maiden could react. Reimu was yanked forward, and the two of them suddenly collided, yelping, laughing, feeling the sea beat against them. They rolled to one side, a tangle of limbs, and Marisa was suddenly aware of how close they were. Reimu’s nose was touching her cheek. “Hey, Reimu, um…”

A hand grasped her wrist, and soft lips pressed against the corner of her mouth. Marisa froze, her brain barely registering what was happening. Her sense of smell, her sight, her mind was suddenly overwhelmed by Reimu. A cold hand touched Marisa’s cheek, and moved her head slowly to one side. Their lips overlapped.

Marisa shot up, as though a jolt of electricity had run through her. “What are you doing!?”

Reimu looked away, hurt. Marisa instantly regretted it. They sat there in silence, neither woman knowing what to say. 

Eventually Reimu stood up, and started moving back to the peach trees. “We should try fishing.”

“Y-Yeah.” Marisa got up too.

“I wouldn’t bother,” said a cold voice. “That sea is dead.”

A woman moved out from the foliage. She held a long, thin sword, and had a patronising look on her face. A Lunarian.

Marisa felt her face go bright red in horror. “How long were you there for?”

The Lunarian looked deeply uncomfortable, and momentarily looked away. “Ever since you took your shoes off.”

She saw Reimu rub her face before glaring at the stranger. “Well, you should’ve come out earlier. It’s bad taste to spy on people like that.”

“I don’t want to hear that from an impure human.” The Lunarian’s voice cooled, and her mouth turned upwards in a sneer. “Dirty animals you are.”

*****  
“So what happened after you saw the sea?”

Marisa couldn’t tell her the truth of course. “Well, we tried to go fishing, then this scary Lunarian showed up, and we ended up having a fight.” She groaned at the memory. “It was a joke.”

“As in, she was a joke?” Alice smiled.

“No, the whole fight was terrible. We were pretty shaken by the… rocket landing, so me and Reimu weren’t thinking straight. She was going to cut us to ribbons, but I managed to persuade her to try out a spell card duel.”

“Oh? Do they have spell cards on the Moon?”

“No, and there’s nothing enforcing the rules either.” Marisa grimaced. “We had to teach her a bare bones version of it, then we took turns trying to attack her with water-damaged spell cards and barely functioning weaponry. It was awkward as hell.”

“Sounds fun.” Alice glanced at her doll, undoubtedly wondering if she could’ve managed it. “Who won?”

“She ripped through us. Reimu managed a draw.” She felt her expression darken with guilt at the mention of Reimu. “After that we got sent back here.”

“Except Reimu.”

“Except Reimu, yeah.” Marisa wasn’t given time to explain things after the battle. Reimu hadn’t looked at her as she was led away. “They’re probably stretching her out on the rack as we speak.”

Alice shrugged, then looked back at the torii gate, deep in thought. The sun was starting to set. “Marisa.”

“Yeah?”

“What are you going to do if Reimu doesn’t come back?”

The trees shook. A bird sang its evening call.

“I’ll go up there and get her back myself.”

Alice laughed. “Well, good luck with that.” She picked up her grimoire and stood up. “I’m going home. Coming?” 

“Nah, I’ll stay here a bit longer.”

“Suit yourself.” And Alice began walking down the path, not turning back. Once she was gone, Marisa stared up at the sky. The Moon had been out all day, and it was finally starting to glow. She covered her lips with one hand, and lowered the brim of her hat.

**The End**


End file.
